To wrap up our brief journey through modern World History we will examine the overarching global tensions that existed between the two superpowers, the US and USSR. These tensions began immediately after WWII (some would say DURING WWII) and lasted until the early 1990s. Even though the Cold War is technically over, its legacies are still with us - if you think real hard you can probably come up with at least ONE! Objectives - You will be able to:
understand why global power shifts took place and the Cold War broke out in the aftermath of World War II.
explain how political, economic, and military conditions prevailing in the mid-1940s led to the Cold War.
explain how the Communist Party rose to power in China between 1936 and 1949 and assess the benefits and costs of Communist policies under Mao Zedong, including the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.
explain the causes and international and local consequences of major Cold War crises, such as the Berlin blockade, the Korean and Vietnam War, the Cuban missile crisis, etc...
analyze how political, diplomatic, and economic conflict and competition between the United States and the Soviet Union affected developing countries around the world.
analyze how superpower rivalries led to the development of new military, nuclear, and space technology.
explain why the Cold War ended and assess its significance as a 20th-century event.
Lesson 1- Homework (Classwork)
As you read through the presentation below, fill in the blanks on your worksheet.
If you are absent during the class when the worksheet, "Cold War: Origins and Elements", was given, it is below the presentation.
Discuss the map of the world during the Cold War. Analyze how the communist world would see themselves and the west, then analyze how the western world would see themselves and the communist world. How might this create tension? Explain. See handout given in class.
The Traditionalist v. Revisionist Interpretation of the Background to the Cold War. There are many different perspectives that one can have in history and when we speak of the cold war we can find at least two fundamentally different perspectives. One, which has been very popular for many decades, is the traditionalist perspective which places much blame on the Soviet Union and other communist regimes. The other is the revisionist perspective which supports a pro-Soviet perspective and either defends Soviet actions or condemns US actions. A handout for this will be given to you in class requiring you to provide explanations from either or both sides on several events from 1917-45.
Lesson 3 -Events of the 1940s
The 1940s experienced some of the more dramatic events of the Cold War. The activities below are meant to provide you with the opportunity to react to events from different sides of the Cold War.
The following assignment is for you to understand the events, 'actions and reactions', that occurred during the Cold War. Some of the events in the assignment have been mentioned in the Keynote presentation above and are in the presentation below. Use both, sections of your text book, Chapter 17 contains narratives that will help you, and even websites on the internet, i.e. History Channel's Cold War.
Judging by the advance of communist countries in the world can you see why the domino theory made sense?
Comparing the Korean and Vietnamese Wars - See Venn Diagram handout given in class.
Read pp.542-547
The Korean War video.
Link to a youtube video Cold War Vietnam War 1954-1968. The war itself lasted much longer than the years reported here, 1945-75 really. That is why it is sometimes called the '10,000 Day War'
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Lesson 5: Events of the 1950s
The Cold War gets hotter in the 1950s. So far you should note that communist governments have taken power in China and in Northern Vietnam. We have had the Korean War, 1950-53. The start of the decade also sees the Soviets having the A-bomb and this really raises the stakes in the arms race.
Below are two more decision making activities that your group will take on. Examine each and arrive at a course of action from the list provided. Be sure to provide reasons for your decision.
An Advertisement advocating vigilance against the spread of communism and supporting Radio Free Europe (a pro-democracy radio broadcasting service)
The Cuban Missile Crisis (browse this link)
The Cuban Missile Crisis (CMC) marks the time when the world came the closest to nuclear annihilation. It was only a few days in the month of October of 1962, but the entire world watched in absolute terror as Kennedy and Khrushchev talked tough on the issue of nuclear missiles on Cuba.
You and your group MUST together produce a Google Doc "CMC Source Work Exercise". This document will be titled as follows BLOCK GROUP # CMC Source Work Exercise . Each student will address a single question. Be sure to edit each others and discuss your answers. The rubric follows the copy. A hard copy will be given to you in class.
N. B. I wish you to note that it is out of 35 and not 40 as written in the document below.
Consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis
It was not all that tragic...or so we think now. The CMC had some positive points as a consequence. Below is an exercise for you and your group to complete. After we go over it in class, keep it in your notebook.
Detente & the End of the Cold War
A period of detente followed the CMC between the USSR and the USA. That is to say there was a lessening of tension between these two super-powers. Do note, though, that wars and conflicts continued in the world which in many cases involved one or both of these super-powers.
Our focus here is to discover how and why the Cold War came to an end. It was not an immediate process to be sure. It was a length process that took place over a number of years.
Learning Activity - Rotational Peer Teaching and Assessment of the Causes of the End of the Cold War.
This will be a two part learning activity. The first part involves your group spending some time researching how your particular area of concern was one cause for the end of the Cold War. The second part will see you peer teaching your area and being peer taught by other areas. Finally, you will reconvene with your group and discuss how the end of the Cold War came to be, and, perhaps more importantly, which specific area contributed most to the end of the Cold War.
Below are the areas of concern. Your group/pair will be concerned with one of the areas below. Be sure you can confidently answer or respond to the sub-points below. Everyone in your group MUST be able to do that before you can set out to teach another student.
Political stagnation and gerontacracy in the leadership of the Soviet Union prior to Gorbachev's leadership.
Speak to the ages of Brezhnev, Andropov, and Chernenko and what it means to diplomacy when the leader of the country is always changing.
Address briefly what the consequences for the Soviets for shooting down a Korean Air plane (007) in 1983.
Speak to the problems which arise from the political system of communism in Russia focus on the issue of civil liberties, freedom of the press (censorship) and free elections. What would be the consequences of these anti-democratic policies?
Socio-economic problems within the Soviet Union
Contrast the issues of the communist economy (in Russia) with capitalist economies. Speak to money, property, wages, industry, and agriculture. Seek to show the short-comings of this system compared to the capitalist system. Address how this system demotivates people in the socio-economic sphere.
Speak to the Chernobyl disaster and how the weakness of the Soviet economic system contributed to that.
Eastern Europeans seeking movement away from Soviet influence
Address movements that occurred in Eastern Europe from the mid-1950s all the way to Leach Walesa in Poland and his Solidarity movement. That is address succinctly the Hungarian, Czechoslovakia and Polish resistance movements of the 1950s and 1960s. Be able to explain how the Soviet reaction to these movements created resentment amongst some populations in Easter Europe.
Address how Leach Walesa's Solidarity Movement challenge the communist government in Poland and ultimately how it began to create problems for the Soviet Union
The war in Afghanistan
Be able to explain the motives for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Explain how it became the USSR's Vietnam and how it ended up costing the Soviet Union billions of dollars in a war they were never close to winning.
Explain how this war created a connection between the USA and Usama bin Laden.
The USA, Reagan and Star Wars
What was Reagan's position on the Soviet Union? Why did he use the term 'Evil Empire'?
What was the consequence of Star Wars for the Soviet Union?
What is the Reagan Doctrine and how did it contribute to ending the Cold War?
Gorbachev and his policies
Know what glasnost and perestroika are and be able to explain each.
Be able to describe how each of glasnost and perestroika led to the demise of the Soviet Union and the 'domino theory in reverse.'
Explain which countries in Eastern Europe sought to break away from the Soviet sphere and the Warsaw Pact and why. Those countries would be Poland, Hungary, East Germany, and Czechoslovakia.
Use information from Keynotes posted above and other sources of information.
Your text book. The following pages MUST be read by ALL: pp. 552-3, 554-7. Other pages may be of assistance. Check the index or table of contents.
Time Allotted
Two classes for research and preparation. One class for peer teaching and for reviewing material above and which element was the most significant in causing an end to the Cold War.
The Collapse of the Soviet Union
This will be the end of our examination of the Cold War. Review your notes everyday and be prepared to take a MCQ Exam on the content of the Cold War within one week of our finishing it.
The Middle East has been a hot-spot in the world since the creation of Israel. There have been several wars that have been fought there since 1948. Today, there are still unresolved issues regarding Israel and the Arab-states. Even Iran has engaged in threatening language regarding Israel's existence.
After having read pp. 583-589 Google Doc Assignment
"Conflicts in the Middle East"
A. Analyzing Causes and Effects. Copy the chart below and put it into a Google doc like the one below. Due at the end of class.
Cause
Actions
Effects
1. Britain issues the Balfour Declaration.
2. Independent state of Israel is created.
3. 1956 Arab-Israeli War breaks out.
4. The 1967 Six-Day War begins.
5. The 1973 Yom Kippur War begins.
6. Sadat and Begin sign the Camp David Accords.
7. Rabin and Arafat issue the Declaration of Principles.
B. Read Israel's Founding Mother Golda Meir (only do if told to by teacher)
Answer this question at the end of the Google Doc started above (see A): When she died, Meir was called "an extra-ordinary person." Explain in three to five sentences.
In Class Activity: Limiting Arab Radicalism
Each group below has the mission of limiting Arab radicalism/fundamentalism in their respective societies. Follow the steps taken and be sure to be able to provide a brief response to each point.
In order to solve this problem you must be able to describe why it is a problem. So, why is Arab radicalism a problem for the country/region?
What are the causes of radicalism? Why might such an extreme approach appeal to some people (see Seymour Lipset, Theodor Adorno, or Erich Fromm).
Provide at least one way to how this problem, radicalism/fundamentalism, can be avoided. Explain.
PRESENT THIS TO THE CLASS. You will have just three minutes in which to respond to the questions above.
Grading is towards participation for the term. Time allotted: 45 minutes
Create a Google Doc, "Middle East Editorial Cartoons"
For each you must do the following
Context - Clearly describe the situation to which the artist refers. What is the event/situation?
Interpretation - What is the artist's position on the issue?
Details - What parts of the cartoon help you to interpret the artist's message? Be sure to explain what those parts suggest/mean.
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The United Nations and Closing Thoughts on the 20th Century=
Our final focus is on the United Nations and issues with which it contends, i.e. global security, human rights, population issues, and environmental destruction, to name just a few. So far in this semester we have seen total wars, limited wars, regional conflict (see the Middle East above) and now we should consider the civil conflicts with which the United Nations must deal.Preview the notes below about the United Nations. The class will discuss some of the UN's features and how it lines up against the League of Nations.
The author of the article makes reference to the UN’s intervention against Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. How was this intervention similar to another one made several years earlier? (Explain using what you know and what this author states about this mission)
The author suggests that UN peacekeeping missions to Rwanda and Somalia were “shockingly inept”. How is this reminiscent of events that plagued the League of Nations in the inter-war period?
Why does the author suggest that “the UN’s independence is severely compromised by its subservience to Washington DC”?
The author has identified three other international agencies that were supposed to have been subservient to the UN. What are they? How has their ascendancy to being as powerful as the UN challenged it?
Outline some of the reforms that the author recommends for the UN.
“What on Earth Were They Thinking” & “Death of a Dinosaur”
Who commanded the UN Force in Rwanda?
What is “Somali Syndrome”, and how did it impact on the ability of the US to respond to events in Somalia?
How are events in Rwanda reminiscent of events in say Manchuria, or Abysinnia?
What does the author of “Death of a Dinosaur” mean when he says, “[T]he League of Nations, and the UN – have always been assemblies of colonial powers designed…to prevent inter-imperial conflict…That has been the pattern…it is difficult to see how it can be changed.”?
Do you believe that the UN is, as the author says, “a dangerous anachronism”?
Objectives - You will be able to:
Lesson 1- Homework (Classwork)
As you read through the presentation below, fill in the blanks on your worksheet.
If you are absent during the class when the worksheet, "Cold War: Origins and Elements", was given, it is below the presentation.
Lesson 2 - Examining a Map
The Traditionalist v. Revisionist Interpretation of the Background to the Cold War.
There are many different perspectives that one can have in history and when we speak of the cold war we can find at least two fundamentally different perspectives. One, which has been very popular for many decades, is the traditionalist perspective which places much blame on the Soviet Union and other communist regimes. The other is the revisionist perspective which supports a pro-Soviet perspective and either defends Soviet actions or condemns US actions. A handout for this will be given to you in class requiring you to provide explanations from either or both sides on several events from 1917-45.
Lesson 3 -Events of the 1940s
The 1940s experienced some of the more dramatic events of the Cold War. The activities below are meant to provide you with the opportunity to react to events from different sides of the Cold War.
Decision Making Activity
Defending Mother Russia versus Keeping the World Safe for Democracy
The Cold War Cause and Effect
Watch the video andThe following assignment is for you to understand the events, 'actions and reactions', that occurred during the Cold War. Some of the events in the assignment have been mentioned in the Keynote presentation above and are in the presentation below. Use both, sections of your text book, Chapter 17 contains narratives that will help you, and even websites on the internet, i.e. History Channel's Cold War.
Complete the chart below using Google Docs as per the usual style (title "Cold War Cause and Effect").
Lesson 4: Wars in Korea and Vietnam
- Start by taking a look at this map which shows the spread of communism
- Judging by the advance of communist countries in the world can you see why the domino theory made sense?
- Comparing the Korean and Vietnamese Wars - See Venn Diagram handout given in class.
- Read pp.542-547
- The Korean War video.
- Link to a youtube video Cold War Vietnam War 1954-1968. The war itself lasted much longer than the years reported here, 1945-75 really. That is why it is sometimes called the '10,000 Day War'
=Lesson 5: Events of the 1950s
The Cold War gets hotter in the 1950s. So far you should note that communist governments have taken power in China and in Northern Vietnam. We have had the Korean War, 1950-53. The start of the decade also sees the Soviets having the A-bomb and this really raises the stakes in the arms race.Below are two more decision making activities that your group will take on. Examine each and arrive at a course of action from the list provided. Be sure to provide reasons for your decision.
A Problem with Allies in the Warsaw Pact
A Problem with Technology, Science and Education in the USA
Read pp. 554-556
Events of the 1960s
The Cuban Missile Crisis (browse this link)
The Cuban Missile Crisis (CMC) marks the time when the world came the closest to nuclear annihilation. It was only a few days in the month of October of 1962, but the entire world watched in absolute terror as Kennedy and Khrushchev talked tough on the issue of nuclear missiles on Cuba.
Lesson 6
Which country is most responsible for the Cuban Missile Crisis?Lesson 7
Mini-DBQ ActivityYou and your group MUST together produce a Google Doc "CMC Source Work Exercise". This document will be titled as follows BLOCK GROUP # CMC Source Work Exercise . Each student will address a single question. Be sure to edit each others and discuss your answers. The rubric follows the copy. A hard copy will be given to you in class.
N. B. I wish you to note that it is out of 35 and not 40 as written in the document below.
Lesson 8
Consequences of the Cuban Missile CrisisIt was not all that tragic...or so we think now. The CMC had some positive points as a consequence. Below is an exercise for you and your group to complete. After we go over it in class, keep it in your notebook.
Detente & the End of the Cold War
A period of detente followed the CMC between the USSR and the USA. That is to say there was a lessening of tension between these two super-powers. Do note, though, that wars and conflicts continued in the world which in many cases involved one or both of these super-powers.
Our focus here is to discover how and why the Cold War came to an end. It was not an immediate process to be sure. It was a length process that took place over a number of years.
Learning Activity - Rotational Peer Teaching and Assessment of the Causes of the End of the Cold War.
This will be a two part learning activity. The first part involves your group spending some time researching how your particular area of concern was one cause for the end of the Cold War. The second part will see you peer teaching your area and being peer taught by other areas. Finally, you will reconvene with your group and discuss how the end of the Cold War came to be, and, perhaps more importantly, which specific area contributed most to the end of the Cold War.Below are the areas of concern. Your group/pair will be concerned with one of the areas below. Be sure you can confidently answer or respond to the sub-points below. Everyone in your group MUST be able to do that before you can set out to teach another student.
Support Material
- The Cold War on the History Channel
- The Cold War on the History Learning Site
- The BBC History of the Cold War
- KIS HS Library
- Use information from Keynotes posted above and other sources of information.
- Your text book. The following pages MUST be read by ALL: pp. 552-3, 554-7. Other pages may be of assistance. Check the index or table of contents.
Time AllottedThe Collapse of the Soviet Union
This will be the end of our examination of the Cold War. Review your notes everyday and be prepared to take a MCQ Exam on the content of the Cold War within one week of our finishing it.
The Middle EastThe Middle East has been a hot-spot in the world since the creation of Israel. There have been several wars that have been fought there since 1948. Today, there are still unresolved issues regarding Israel and the Arab-states. Even Iran has engaged in threatening language regarding Israel's existence.
After having read pp. 583-589
Google Doc Assignment
"Conflicts in the Middle East"
A. Analyzing Causes and Effects. Copy the chart below and put it into a Google doc like the one below. Due at the end of class.
Answer this question at the end of the Google Doc started above (see A): When she died, Meir was called "an extra-ordinary person." Explain in three to five sentences.
In Class Activity: Limiting Arab Radicalism
Each group below has the mission of limiting Arab radicalism/fundamentalism in their respective societies. Follow the steps taken and be sure to be able to provide a brief response to each point.- In order to solve this problem you must be able to describe why it is a problem. So, why is Arab radicalism a problem for the country/region?
- What are the causes of radicalism? Why might such an extreme approach appeal to some people (see Seymour Lipset, Theodor Adorno, or Erich Fromm).
- Provide at least one way to how this problem, radicalism/fundamentalism, can be avoided. Explain.
- PRESENT THIS TO THE CLASS. You will have just three minutes in which to respond to the questions above.
Grading is towards participation for the term.Time allotted: 45 minutes
Individual Assignment: Editorial Cartoon Interpretation
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The United Nations and Closing Thoughts on the 20th Century=
Our final focus is on the United Nations and issues with which it contends, i.e. global security, human rights, population issues, and environmental destruction, to name just a few. So far in this semester we have seen total wars, limited wars, regional conflict (see the Middle East above) and now we should consider the civil conflicts with which the United Nations must deal.Preview the notes below about the United Nations. The class will discuss some of the UN's features and how it lines up against the League of Nations.
Individual ReadingRead: "Winds of Change" "What on Earth Were They Doing?" and "Death of a Dinosaur"As you read the articles above answer the questions below. You should cut and paste these into a Google Doc by the title "UN Readings"
“Winds of Change”
“What on Earth Were They Thinking” & “Death of a Dinosaur”